Coal drying apparatus



Aug. 19, 1941. Q N 'PERKWS 2,252,814

COAL DRYING APPARATUS Filed 001.25, 1959 2 sheets-511651 1 Inventor Q Mipaf/#276V By @MM2 1 Attorneys Allg. 19, 1941. G. N PERKlNS 2,252,814

. COAL DRYING APPARATUS Filed 0ct.-25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 In venor Q MR/#1727;

A ttomeys Patented Aug. 19, 1941 GOAL DnYmGnrrARAaUs-r Y w della@1-z.'1 a1nns,itinerary;ya;` 4 Application october e5, 19;;afsavec1 No. 301,274L j iiciaim. loi. 344m) Mylinvention relatestolimprovements in apparatus-for drying coall andsimilar commodities.

` The invention is designed with Ythe particular' purpose in View `of-providing an eiiicientdrying apparatus for drying in large quantities small size, or fine, coal evenly andquickly and'whichl is economical as regards manufacture, insta-llationand upkeep.

Other and subordinate objects are also` cornprehended by my invention, all of which, together with the preciseV nature of my improvements, will be readily `understood whenthe suc` ceeding description and claiin` are read with reference to the drawings accompanying andl forming part of this specication.

Insaid drawings: f f

Figure 1 is a vieW-inlongitudinalsection of ax preferred embodiment `of the l invention,

Figure` 2` isla viewintransverse vertical section `taken on the line 2`2l of Figurel lookingl. inv theA directionindicated by the arrows andi drawn to anenlarged scale,

l Figure 3 islafragmentary view in top plan of the conveyor belt and-one ofI the rollers,

Figure 4 `is a view in transverse section taken onthe line 4-4of Figure -3, looking in thedirection indicated by thearrows, and

Figure 5 is a View partly inside elevation and partlyv in section of one of the `mixer bars and the mounting" therefor.

Referring to the drawings by numeralsithe illustrated embodiment vof my improved apparatusy comprises an elongated frame I including; end pairs of opposed rectangulary bearing frames `Ziconnected on each side of the apparatusby `a pair of upper and lower horizontal bars"3, 4. A pair of front andrear rollers'5; Iil are journaled by stub shafts 'l and bearing blocks 8 in the pairs of framesm2, respectively, to extend horizontally between' the frames, said rollers each being provided with radial end flanges 9 and a similar median flange I0. A pair of endless conveyor belts II are trained around said rollers 5, 6, side by side, said belts iitting between the median flanges I Il and the end flanges 9. The conveyor belts II are of foraminous material and, as will be understood, the upper and lower stretches of said belts are level. A parting bar I2 extends horizontally between the contiguous edges of the upper stretches of said belts II with the ends thereof suitably xed in the apparatus. Transverse idler rollers I3 spaced equidistantly along the upper and lower stretches of the conveyor belts II support said stretches intermediate the rollers 5, 6. The idler rollers I 3; are-journaled fattlie ends'tliereofrinbearings Ij4^arising Vfrom'thebars 4;" The upperl stretches' of :theiconveyor vbelts `II travel througha tunnellikes'tructure "I 5' extending between the pairs of t bearing, frames V2 andv rising above( said stretches for La `suitable distance.

'fThejtunneL structure I 5-'comprises a pairbf sidewalls *I E ysuitablysecured,to andarisingfrom;

the upper frame 'bars3; a top wall I'I, a bottom Walli I8'1*` intermediate the upper and lower stretchesA of the conveyorbelts I I, a rear endwall ISlandav frontend' wall 2U, the;latter together withhthe sidewalls I6 andtop wall I1 being con-- structed'to formafeecl'hopper 2'I at what con; stitutes the'frontend" of the `apparatus and lo cated above the said' belts: II.'

'I'he `bottom wall I8 `is constructed'at theffront` end of the apparatus with a downwardly andffor= vvardly` inclined. sluice board 22 extending from the under side'ofithe upperstretches of the conveyor belts II and ,terminating` at the fronti end of the `bottom wall incza Vtransversely extending' trough 23 forming a sump. Intermediate said: board 22 and the rear end'wall I9 of the tunnel" structure I 5 the bottom wall I8, andthe side wallsA I6 are constructed and arrangedtto form a longitudinally spaced series of hopper-like pockets a 24 `flaringupvvardly both longitudinally andlaterally beneath the upper stretches of the conveyor belts I I, `said pockets 24 increasing in depth;

or height, successively towards-the rear endgoi*` the apparatus. rfhelgiockets24jopenlat the bot-v toms thereof, as at 25, into the top of a longitirdinally .extending conduitl 26-`iorming a hot air" manifold and graduallyv decreasingin size vere tically toward the rear endof the apparatus. The front end of the conduit 26 is open, as at 2'I,f

forv the introduction of` hotV airunder pressure'u thereintoandthetrearend-of `said conduit is nor mallyclosed byawsuitable4` clean-out door `28.`

The pockets 24 are divided transversely and longitudinally by laterally spaced, upright, transverse and longitudinal baffle plates 29, 30, inclined from the vertical as best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Above the pockets 24, the top wall I1 of the tunnel structure I5 is constructed to provide a longitudinally spaced series ofdome-like pockets 3I in the top of the structure opening at the tops thereof into a longitudinally extending discharge manifold 32.

Immediately in the rear of the hopper 2I a vertically slidable gate 33 is suitably mounted in the top I'I of the tunnel structure I5. A second similar gate 34 is mounted in said top I1 immediately infront of the series of pockets 3|. A third similar gate 35 is similarly mounted on the rear wall I9 of said structure I5 in the rear of a discharge aperture 36 provided in the rear wall I9 of the tunnel structure I5.

Above the top stretches of the conveyor belts I I longitudinally spaced series of pendant mixer bars 31 are provided in the tunnel structure I5, the bars in each series being spaced transversely of the tunnel structure and suspended at the upper ends ythereof from an angle iron 38 fast on a shaft 39 having its ends suitably journaled in the side walls I6 of the tunnel structure I5, the j arrangement being such that each series of mixer lbars 31 is swingable lengthwise of the conveyor belts II above the same and with the lower ends Flexibleflashing strips 4I of Asuitable materialY arelfsecure'd .in'any zlesiredv manner to .the v,side

th i

drying of th-e coal on the conveyor belts. dried coal emerges through the aperture 35 to spondingly distributed through the belts and against the coal rthereon. It will be noted, that the openings in the pockets 24 diminish in size rearwardly of the apparatus, or in other Words, in correspondence with the increase in depth of the said pockets 24. Also, as before stated, the manifold 26 decreases in size rearwardly. The result of these features is that the volume of hot air blasted against the ycoal is greater at the front end of the apparatus where the coal is wettest and gradually diminishes toward the rear in correspondence 'with gradual The beyfedv off the conveyor belts Il to a suitable storage structure. As the coal passes through the tunnel structure l5, the beater bars 31 drag stretcheslof the conveyor belts `I I and form seals y between' vsaid 'walls vand said yedges of 'thebelts' Similar 'strips 42 are secured toftheparting vbar I2 to overlie the innerside'edgesof the upper' stretchesof the conveyor belts II to form seals` between saidbar'and said edges( s 4 'IuheV rear roller 6 operates a rotary brush 43 through the medium of a sprocket chain drive'44,

the ysainev clean and clear of dust and the like.l

a `suitable, source ofhotair under pressure, not

apparatus. The' conveyor belts I I 'are' set in r'no to'n'byV any suitable power drive, not shown, to oneof th'erollers 5, 6, so that the upper stretchesA travel rearwardly; Coal'is'fed into thehopper- 2I andthe gate'33 adjusted downwardly'fso that as coal travels thereunder it is smoothedout to a desired depth.,The gates 34, 35 are' similarly adjusted to Ymaintain the'desired depth of Vcoal ofn Athe "conveyor" beltsII throughout the' same.

y As thelcoal is fed through'the space between the hopper'lZI andthe Agate'3l4, moisture therein drains off throughithe conveyor belts' I I onto the sluicel board 22y andfdovvn the same into the The drained coal Athen passes through the tunnel structure over the pockets 24. lDur-V irigfthisphase ofmoperation, the hoty air-.under pressure,intheLmanifold 2li blasts upwardly irfto the pockets 24 and is` uniformly distributed by theshape of said pocketsand the baille platesl 2,9, l3Q, hagainst'j the under side of the upper stretches ofthe conveyor belts I Ito be correw ng v'nvv to the operation of the described over and turn the same, as will be clear, thereby facilitating drying thereof. The heated air is /pocketed above the coal in the pockets 3| temporarily conserving the same ,and utilizing its thermal efficiencyV to a'maximum, but, Vpa'sses'out of said pockets 3l intoand out of the "discharge manifold 32vbefore itfcools to a dew-point Wheref by moisture is prevented from collecting in the tunnel structure and on the lcoal. s

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to irripart a clear understanding of my1 invention without further explanation. y i i f i Manifestly the invention, las described, issusceptible of modicationuwithout departing fromV the inventivewconcept `and rightvis `herein re-f served to suchumodications as ,fall within the, scope of the subjoined claim. A v

VVhatIclaim is: fl l In a coal 'drying apparatus, ;an` elongated -tunnel having. an outlet end, an endless foraminous conveyor havingra toprstretch extendingflengthf. wise through .said tunnel Aand outof said en,d, a

g; feed hopper at the opposite ,end of `the tunnel,

for feeding coal onto said stretch tobe conveyed through the tunnel, and an elongated manifold beneath the bottom of the jtunnel extending lengthwise thereof and for hot air under pres-v sure, the bottom V of the tunnel having ,thereinga longitudinally spaced series ci hopper-like pook@ ets opening onto said top stretch and provided, with a bottom aperture, respectively, establishing ycommunication between said manifold and pookets whereby hot air iromsa-id manifoldis disp chargedinto said pockets to expandtherein under said top stretch, said manifold tapering reari wardly,l and saidupockets increasing in size Ysuccessively in said series from front to 4rear fof Vthe tunnel` and said bottom apertures similarly decreasing in size whereby the volume of hotair passing out of said pockets isdiminished pro? gressively toward the rear end of the'tunnel, and anair outlet manifold for said tunnel. d 1

Cimone-1Ev N. PERKINS. 

